Protecting history

Pyrotenax mineral-insulated (Pyro MI) cables have been employed at St Giles’ Cathedral, Edinburgh in a programme of interior works which included the installation of new interior lighting, bespoke chandeliers and a fire detection system. Specified by the consultant Arup and installed by FES Ltd of Stirling, the light duty and heavy duty MI cables have been supplied through the Edinburgh branch of Ross Electrical in a sandstone colour, sympathetic to the fabric of the building.

MI is recognised as the highest performing fire-rated cable technology and Pyro MI cable has undergone Lloyds Register witness testing under the most stringent fire test methodology of BS 7346-6:2005 – successfully achieving the highest performance requirement of 120 minutes survival time for fire fighting systems (FF120). This ensures that it comes with an assurance for those responsible for cable specification and purchase that they are meeting the requirements of the Regulatory Reform Order (RRO) in regard to the material supply.

In addition to its superior fire survival performance, the totally inorganic construction of mineral insulated cable gives it stability and durability, making it ideal for applications in large historic buildings of this type as it is also rodent resistant and ‘non-aging’ so will provide decades of maintenance-free service.

Also known as the High Kirk of Edinburgh, St Giles’ Cathedral is the historic City Church of Edinburgh standing on the Royal Mile between Edinburgh Castle and the Palace of Holyroodhouse. It is a grade A listed building at the centre of Edinburgh’s World Heritage site and the interior refurbishment was undertaken with the help of a Heritage Lottery Fund grant.